LESSON The Shepherds Find Baby Jesus Year A 4th Quarter Lesson 12 WORSHIP We are thankful for the birth of Jesus. References Luke 2:15-20; The Desire of Ages, pp. 47, 48. Memory Verse The Lord has done great things for us (Psalm 126:3, NIV). Objectives The children will: Know that they can worship God for sending Baby Jesus. Feel thankful that Jesus came to be with us. Respond by telling someone about Jesus. The Message We worship Jesus when we tell others about Him. Getting Ready to Teach The Bible Lesson at a Glance One night angels appear to the shepherds to tell them the wonderful news that Jesus is born and where to find Him. The shepherds decide to go to the stable and see this child for themselves. They find the baby just as the angel said wrapped in cloth and lying in a manger. They worship Him, then go back to their fields and tell everyone they meet what they have seen and heard that night. Mary is amazed. She knows she will not forget that night and that she will tell Jesus about it as He grows up. This is a story about worship. When we truly believe that Jesus is our Savior, we will want to share that good news with others, just as the shepherds did. Accepting and acknowledging Him as our Savior is one way we worship Jesus. Another is by telling others about Him. 120
TWELVE Program Outline 1 LESSON SECTION MINUTES ACTIVITIES MATERIALS NEEDED Welcome ongoing Greet students at door; hear none pleased/troubled Readiness up to 10 A. Musical Sharing small stuffed toy lamb or other toy Options animal, live or taped music B. Crown Craft gold or silver paper strips with points, glitter, glue or tape, star stickers C. Thank-You Flag plain paper, dowels or unsharpened pencils or paper towel rolls, crayons, glue sticks * 2 Prayer and up to 10 Praise* See page 126. *Prayer and Praise may be used at any time during the program. Bible Lesson up to 20 Experiencing the Story baby doll, Bible-times costumes, angel costumes Bible Study Bible, Little Voices Praise Him 3 4 Memory Verse Bible Applying up to 15 Tell Others none the Lesson Sharing up to 15 Whom Will You Tell? copy of shepherd for each child the Lesson (see page 153), art supplies, markers, scissors Teacher Enrichment In the fields where the boy David had led his flock, shepherds were still keeping watch by night. Through the silent hours they talked together of the promised Saviour, and prayed for the coming of the King to David s throne.... At these words [of the angels], visions of glory fill the minds of the listening shepherds. The Deliverer has come to Israel! Power, exaltation, triumph, are associated with His coming. But the angel must prepare them to recognize their Saviour in poverty and humiliation.... The heavenly messenger had quieted their fears. He had told them how to find Jesus. With tender regard for their human weakness, he had given them time to become accustomed to the divine radiance.... Departing [the stable] with great joy, they [the shepherds] made known the things they had seen and heard (The Desire of Ages, pp. 47, 48). Room Decorations Add shepherds in the fields to the bulletin boards and Bethlehem scenery. 121
LESSON 12 Teaching the Lesson 1 Welcome Welcome students at the door. Ask how their week has been what they are pleased/troubled about. Encourage them to share any experiences from last week s lesson study. Have them begin the readiness activity of your choice. Readiness Activities Select the activity most appropriate for your situation. A. Musical Sharing Say: We are going to play a game today. We will all sit in a circle. While the music is playing, we will gently pass our toy lamb to each other. When the music stops, the person holding the lamb will say something about Jesus. What are some things we can say about Jesus? (That He was born in a manger, that His mother was Mary, etc.) Say: Very good. Now that we have some ideas, we will play the game. Allow response time as you ask: What did you learn about Jesus that you didn t know before? What can you tell others about Jesus? Was it easy or hard to tell someone something about Jesus? Do you want to tell others about Jesus? When we tell others about Jesus we are worshipping Him, and that makes Him happy. Our message for today says: We worship Jesus when we tell others about Him. q small stuffed toy lamb or other toy animal q live or taped music B. Crown Craft Say: Jesus did not wear a crown when He was a baby in the manger, but God and His Son are the Kings of the universe. Because we are His sons and daughters, we will wear crowns when we are in heaven with Jesus someday. Would you like to wear a crown? (yes) Say: Let s make a paper crown to remind us that Jesus is our King, even though He was born in a stable. Have adults assist as the children make and wear paper crowns. As the children work, sing I Will Wear a Crown (Little Voices Praise Him, no. 132). q gold or silver paper strips with points q glitter q glue or tape q star stickers 122
LESSON 12 Allow response time as you ask: You all look like sons and daughters of God with your crowns. Did you like making them? When someone asks you about your crown, what will you say? What will you tell them about Jesus? When we tell others about Jesus we are worshipping Him, and that makes Him happy. Our message for today says: We worship Jesus when we tell others about Him. C. Thank-You Flag Say: We are going to make a thank-you flag for God s care today so we can wave it and tell others about Jesus. On one side of your flag, draw something that Jesus has done for you. On the other side draw a picture of Jesus. Then an adult will help you write Jesus cares for me. Children proceed to do the activity. Adults assist as necessary, especially when it is time to glue the flag to the stick. When finished, say: Let s wave our flags as we walk around the room and sing praises to God. Select familiar songs from Little Voices Praise Him, such as I Love Jesus! (no. 205) I Love Thee, O Lord (no. 208) Hallelu, Hallelu (no. 213) Praise Him, Praise Him (no. 221) q plain paper q dowels or unsharpened pencils or paper towel rolls q crayons q glue sticks Allow response time as you ask: Did you like singing songs about Jesus? What are your favorite songs to praise Jesus? When we sing songs of praise, we are worshipping Jesus. Which song would you like to sing for your family or for a friend? Is that one way to tell others about Jesus? Whom will you tell about Jesus today? Remember, We worship Jesus when we tell others about Him. * NOTE: Prayer and Praise appears on page 126. 123
LESSON 12? 2 Bible Lesson Experiencing the Story Scenery: Use the Nativity scene and props from the previous weeks. Characters: Mary, Joseph, shepherds, and angels. q baby doll q Bible-times Select children to act as Mary costumes and Joseph. Divide the rest of the q angel class into angels and shepherds. costumes Dress all accordingly in Bible-times costumes. Encourage children to act out the parts as they hear the story, and assist them when necessary. Have Mary, Joseph, and a doll positioned at the manger scene. [Shepherds sit in a group.] The shepherds were watching their flocks of sheep on the hillsides near the little town of Bethlehem. They talked together about the special promise that God had made years before, the promise that a new King would come to earth. [One angel enters with arms raised.] Suddenly a bright light appeared in the sky. How frightened the shepherds were! [Shepherds cover their eyes with their hands.] But how thrilled they were when they heard the angel s message. Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you (Luke 2:10-12, NIV). The shepherds turned to one another. Could it be true? they asked. Has God sent the Savior He promised long ago? The angel went on, You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger. [Other angels join the one angel.] Then hundreds and hundreds of angels joined the one until the sky glowed. The air rang with the song they sang. Glory to God in the highest, And on earth, peace to all people. The angels finished their song and faded away back into the heavens. [Angels slowly leave.] Farther and farther, smaller and smaller, grew the shining choir until they were just another star in the dark sky. Once again it was a quiet night on the hills around Bethlehem. The shepherds turned to one another. I think it is true, said one. I think we should see for ourselves, said another. I agree, said a third. Let s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about. [Shepherds stand up and move to stable.] So they hurried off to Bethlehem. There in the night they found Mary and Joseph, with Baby Jesus lying in a manger, just as the angel had said. They thought of the angel s words, A Savior has been born. And they knew this baby had come from God. Quietly they knelt and worshipped the child. [Shepherds kneel.] Soon the shepherds left to go back to their sheep. They returned to the hillsides, praising God for all they had heard and seen. On the way, they told everyone they met about seeing Jesus, the Savior of the world. Allow response time as you ask: What would you have done if you had been one of the shepherds who heard the angels sing? What did the shepherds do? What did they do on their way home after seeing Jesus? (They told everyone about Jesus.) Why did they do that? (Because they were so happy about it.) Do people today still tell others about Jesus birth? Do you want to tell others about Him? Remember, 124
LESSON 12 We worship Jesus when we tell others about Him. q Bible q Little Voices Praise Him Bible Study To begin this activity you may wish to sing The Bible (Little Voices Praise Him, no. 53). Open your Bible to Luke 2:8-20. Review last week s lesson briefly (verses 8-14 tell about the angels). Then point to verses 15-20 and say: Here is where we find today s story about the shepherds in God s Word, the Bible. Hold your Bible so all can see, then read verses 15-20 aloud, paraphrasing as necessary. Allow response time as you ask: When the shepherds heard about the birth of Jesus, what did they do? Where did they go? What do you think happened to their sheep? What did they find when they went into the town? What did they do on their way home? Why? Remember, We worship Jesus when we tell others about Him. Memory Verse Open your Bible to Psalm 126:3. Point to the text and say: Here is where we find today s memory verse in God s Word, the Bible. Read the text aloud, then proceed to teach it as follows: The Lord has done great things for us. Psalm 126:3 Point upward. Hold arms up high. Point to self, then to others. Palms together; then apart as if opening a book. Repeat several times in a rhythmic manner, using the motions, until the children know the verse. q Bible 125
LESSON 12? PRAYER AND PRAISE Fellowship Report the students joys and sorrows (pleased and troubled) as reported to you at the door (as appropriate). Allow time for sharing experiences from last week s lesson study and review the memory verse. Acknowledge any birthdays, special events, or achievements. Give a special warm greeting to all visitors. Suggested Songs Sing the following words to the tune of Praise Him, Praise Him (Little Voices Praise Him, no. 221): Thank Him, Thank Him, All you happy children, Jesus came, Jesus came. Thank Him, Thank Him, All you happy children, Jesus came, came to earth. Select songs from Little Voices Praise Him, nos. 140-153. Mission Use a story from Children s Mission. Offering Because He loves us and we love Him, we give Him our offerings. You may wish to sing the offering song Giving (Little Voices Praise Him, no. 285) or Offering Prayer Song (Little Voices Praise Him, no. 33) or Offering Response (Little Voices Praise Him, no. 30). Say (and have children repeat after you): Thank You, Jesus, that we can give offerings to help people around the world. Amen. Prayer Invite volunteers to pray simple sentence prayers to thank Jesus for coming to earth to be our Friend and to care for us. Close with a simple prayer of thanks for God s love and care. *Prayer and Praise may be used at any time during the program. * 3 Applying the Lesson Tell Others Divide the children into three equal groups: shepherds, angels, and the people the shepherds met as they went back after seeing Baby Jesus. Have each group go to a different place in the room. Remind the children of the story and ask: Whom did the angels tell about the birth of Jesus? (the shepherds) Whom did the shepherds tell about Jesus? (everyone they met on the way home) Whom did those people tell about 126
LESSON 12 Jesus? (other people in the town and countryside) Let s play a game called Tell Others. Each angel will go to a shepherd and tell them The good news is that Jesus has been born. Then each shepherd will go to someone in the third group and tell them the same thing. Then those people should tell the adult helpers in our room. Allow time to finish the game. Allow response time as you ask: 4 Sharing the Lesson What do you think about telling someone else about Jesus? Was it hard or easy? Why was it easy to tell people here? Would it be easy to tell the good news to people who are not in this room? Why? Do you want to tell others about Jesus? Remember, We worship Jesus when we tell others about Him. q copy of shepherd for each child (see p. 153) q art supplies q markers q scissors Whom Will You Tell? Say: The shep- herds told other people about the angels singing and about Jesus. Can you think of people you would like to tell about Jesus? (Mommy, Daddy, friends, relatives, playmates, school friends, etc.) Say: Let s use these pictures of a shepherd to share with others what we would like to tell them about Jesus. You can make your picture pretty and trace over the words that say Jesus is born. An adult will help you write the name of the person you re going to give it to on the back of your picture. Allow time to complete the activity. Say: Who wants to tell about the person they will give their picture to? (Children share.) Say: When you give them the picture, be sure to tell them The good news is that Jesus is born. Let s practice that. (Repeat several times.) Let s remember, We worship Jesus when we tell others about Him. Closing Sing Angels (Little Voices Praise Him, no. 121) and/or Good-bye to You (Little Voices Praise Him, no. 45). Pray and have children repeat after each phrase: Thank You, God, for giving us the precious gift of Jesus. Help us to tell others about Him. Amen. 127
LESSON 12? STUDENT LESSON References Luke 2:15-20; The Desire of Ages, pp. 47, 48 Memory Verse The Lord has done great things for us (Psalm 126:3, NIV). The Message We worship Jesus when we tell others about Him. The Shepherds Find Baby Jesus Have you ever hoped for something special, such as a certain birthday present? Did you get it? Were you excited? Did you want to tell your friends about the gift you received? The night had begun as any other night. Shepherds watched their flocks of sheep on the hillsides near the little town of Bethlehem. They talked together about the special promise that God had made years before, the promise that a new King would come to earth. How frightened the shepherds had been when the angel came! But how thrilled they became when they heard the angel s message. Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you;... You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger (Luke 2:10-12, NIV). Then hundreds and hundreds of angels joined the one until the sky glowed. The air rang with their song. Glory to God in the highest, And on earth, peace to all people. Then their light had faded away back into the heavens. Farther and farther, smaller and smaller, grew the shining choir until they looked like just another star in the dark sky. Once again it was a quiet night. The shepherds turned to one another. I think it is true, said one. I think we should see for ourselves, said another. I agree, said a third. Let s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened. So they hurried off to Bethlehem. In a manger, the angel had said. Every shepherd knew a manger would be found in a place where animals were kept. And there in the night they found Mary and Joseph, with Baby Jesus lying in a manger, just as the angel had said. They thought of the angel s words, A Savior has been born. The shepherds knew this baby had come from God. Quietly they knelt and worshipped the child. Soon the shepherds left to go back to their sheep, praising God for all they had heard and seen. On the way, they told everyone they met about seeing Jesus, the Savior of the world. The shepherds talked about that night for a long time, telling all who would listen about the Baby Jesus they found lying in a manger. Mary and Joseph were amazed. Mary knew she would always remember the shepherds visit. And as Jesus grew up, she would tell Him about that night. 128
LESSON? 12 Do and Say Sabbath Each day this week read the lesson story and use the following to review the memory verse: The Lord... Point upward. has done... Hold arms up high. great things for us.... Point to self, then to others. Psalm 126:3... Palms together; then open as if opening a book. Sunday Help your child give the shepherd colored in Sabbath School to someone and tell them about the shepherds and the angels. Help make a happy face on the back of the shepherd to tell that your child is happy to share the good news. Monday Let your child read the pictures in the lesson book and tell you the story. Help your child identify each person and animal, then count them. Tuesday The shepherds heard the angels sing. Sing some of your child s favorite Christmas songs together. Remind your child that we worship Jesus when we sing about Him. Wednesday Place some hay, straw, or grass in a box large enough for your child to lie in. Let your child lie in the box and pretend to be Baby Jesus while you sing Away in a Manger. Then have your child lie on his or her bed. Talk about the difference in the two beds. Which would your child prefer? Help your child thank Jesus for a comfortable bed in which to sleep. Thursday With your child, set aside some clothes, toys, blankets, etc., to take to Sabbath School as part of the community service project started in Sabbath School. Sing a sharing song and thank Jesus that you have something to share. Friday Read the Christmas story from Luke 2:8-20 during family worship tonight. Let your child show the pictures in the lesson story as you read about the shepherds and the angels. Sing songs about Jesus birth; then thank Him for coming to earth. 129